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We closed the domain naming thread (click for details).

Instead, let's start with a killer "elevator pitch!" Joel will be blogging about the elevator pitch approach to naming, but to get you started:

The Elevator Pitch

This isn't as easy as it sounds. Imagine the user who will never read your FAQ and you have two seconds to grab their attention. It should be catchy but descriptive. It should be thoroughly clear but painfully concise. Make every... word... count.

Here are some creative examples:

  • Gawker: Daily Manhattan media news and gossip. Reporting live from the center of the universe.
  • Gizmodo: The gadget guide. So much in love with shiny new toys, it’s unnatural.
  • Autoblog: We obsessively cover the auto industry.
  • DumbLittleMan: So what do we do here? Well, it’s simple. 15 to 20 times per week we provide tips that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.
  • Needcoffee.com: We are the Internet equivalent of a triple espresso with whipped cream. Mmmm…whipped cream.

Use it as a Tagline

A shorter elevator pitch can be used as a tagline — something you can display in the header at the top of the page. If it doesn't fit, consider shortening it or creating a separate tagline. Here are some great examples:

The Motto (don't forget your logo)

A logo begs for it own little, short tagline — like a motto. Maybe the tagline inspires the logo; Maybe it's the other way around. Mottos make good t-shirt, bumper stickers, and other marketing material. Either way, you'll recognize a good motto when you see it:

  • Just do it.
  • Think Different.
  • The Uncola.
  • Intel inside.
  • Like a rock.
  • The king of beers.

…and perhaps all this leads to a proper name and domain for your site… eventually. So let's start from the basics. Come up with a killer elevator pitch, tagline, and/or motto!

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  • I upvoted because poor 'ole @Robert Cartaino needs some more reputation here. :)
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 9, 2010 at 0:51
  • @Mike: But meta doesn't give you rep, so this won't help - he will need to learn some PHP to get street cred here!
    – Jan Fabry
    Oct 9, 2010 at 9:13
  • @Jan - It was a joke...
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 9, 2010 at 9:34
  • woosh Huh? What was that thing, flying over my head?
    – Jan Fabry
    Oct 10, 2010 at 15:28

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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I don't love any of these, but these are my initial contributions to brainstorming...

The Elevator Pitch

  • Professional Grade Answers to Hardcore WordPress Questions.

  • Theming? Plugin Development? Server Setup? Advanced use of WordPress? It's all here.

  • Why Wait for Answers that Never Come? Ask your WordPress Question Here First!

The Tagline

  • WordPress Answers Successes Where others Fail.

  • If it be done in WordPress it's documented here (or will be once you ask.)

  • YES! It CAN be done with WordPress, here's how...:

  • Got Hardcore WordPress Questions? We Got Answers!

  • Need WordPress Code? We Supply!

  • Making Advanced WordPress Easy. One Question at a Time.

  • Empowering Serious WordPress Users. Since 2010.

The Moto

  • No Hardcore WordPress Question goes Unanswered

  • WordPress Shall Have No Frustrated Professionals

  • Empowering the Cult of WordPress

  • Enabled WordPress Fanatics Worldwide

  • Death to Smoochy!

Hope this helps.

-Mike

P.S. Sorry, got carried away on that last one. ;-)

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  • I like the first elevator pitch you gave. Maybe even just Professional instead of Professional Grade, because many of us do work with WordPress as a professional, and "professional grade" has a "wannabee sound" to me.
    – Jan Fabry
    Oct 10, 2010 at 15:36
  • @Jan Fabry - I added "Grade" because I didn't want people to say "well it's more than just for professionals" but frankly if others are good with "Professional" I'd be all for that kind of exclusion.
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 10, 2010 at 20:56
  • +1 on Death to Smoochy. LOL But seriously, I agree, Professional is fine without the 'grade' qualifier: "Professional Answers to Hardcore WordPress Questions."
    – Lemon Bacon
    Oct 15, 2010 at 18:17
  • Idea: Maybe the pitch/tagline/motto could be jazz related like the WordPress release names?
    – t31os
    Feb 10, 2011 at 18:32
  • @t310s - Cool idea. Who knows Jazz? (not me...)
    – MikeSchinkel
    Feb 10, 2011 at 19:00
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The Tagline

I like one of Mike's tag lines, but with some modifications:

  • Empowering WordPress Users. Since 2010.
  • Got Questions? We got answers! (relates to the answers.wordpress.org suggestion from the domain question, if that will be considered)
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The Elevator Pitch

Quality answers, snippets, solutions and suggestions for running WordPress blogs.

The Tagline

Running WordPress blogs.

The Moto

Make your blog run.

Alternative versions ;) replace blog with site or Content Management System powered web entity or whatever as needed. Personally I think blog works.

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  • 2
    @Rarst - The reference to "blogs" would perpetuate the now-incorrect common perception that WordPress is just for blogs any not a generate purpose CMS that is capable of far more than blogging. I down voted for that reason (and votes in meta don't affect reputation as @Jan said above.)
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 10, 2010 at 0:45
  • 2
    @MikeSchinkel Should WordPress.com be closed for perpetuating incorrect perception? ;) Seriously I think WordPress is branded with blogging for life. People who mess with it a lot know it's more than that. People who don't - don't (and won't) care. This perception is not created by some tagline, it is created by WP itself.
    – Rarst
    Oct 10, 2010 at 9:26
  • 2
    @Mike: Rarst has a point, but I think we can exploit it. Something with the theme "beyond blogging"? You don't come to WPA with your simple blogging questions (the WordPress.com stuff), but with more interesting cases (development, and indeed CMS issues).
    – Jan Fabry
    Oct 10, 2010 at 15:31
  • 1
    @Rarst - "This perception is not created by some tagline, it is created by WP itself." That is one of the most naive statements I have yet to read on this site. That's not how public perception works. I ran this conference (thebusinessof.net/wordpress) with a partner and believe me, our biggest battle was to get people who were not immersed in WordPress like you are to "get it." I've been very active locally with entrepreneurs and when I recommend WordPress most of them would tell me "No, I don't want a blog, I want a website". VERY frustrating.
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 10, 2010 at 20:53
  • @Jan Fabry - I definitely like your thoughts "beyond blogging". OTOH while I am mostly interested in WordPress for CMS use I don't want to deny benefit to those who are only interested in it for blogging. We should be inclusive, not exclusive.
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 10, 2010 at 20:54
  • Ehm, what's naive about that? As far as I know WordPress started as purely blogging engine. Good chunk of press it gets is by association with wordpress.com. WordPress perceived as blogging tool is not some evil plot, it is purely its own history. Maybe was created is more accurate statement.
    – Rarst
    Oct 10, 2010 at 21:09
  • 1
    @Rarst - The naive aspects are to assume that people who are not immersed in something pay enough attention to actually understand what it is. If it were enough then the world of marketing wouldn't be focused on branding. Your proposal attempted to further the brand of WordPress as a blogging tool instead of helping it to break out of that constricting mold.
    – MikeSchinkel
    Oct 11, 2010 at 19:57

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